Continuing Education and Self-Assessment of Knowledge of Nurse Leaders

Background: The rapid increase in the scope and quality of knowledge in the health care field requires continuing education for nurses, especially nurse leaders. Methods: A survey was conducted among 296 nurse leaders from 15 hospitals, accounting for 87% of all hospital nurses in Slovenia. Results: The survey showed that participation in continuing education was lowest among younger nurse leaders, those with lower leadership positions, and those employed at medium-sized general hospitals and specialized (nonpsychiatric) hospitals. The total number of continuing education hours did not affect self-assessment of knowledge among nurse leaders. Conclusion: Slovenia's experiences in this area indicate that greater attention must be paid to an equal distribution of continuing education programs among the various groups of nurse leaders. Additionally, it is important to monitor the quality of program implementation.